But let us make haste, men, since Laches is in for it today; for everyone says he has a hive of money.
§242χθὲς οὖν Κλέων ὁ κηδεμὼν ἡμῖν ἐφεῖτʼ ἐν ὥρᾳ §243ἥκειν ἔχοντας ἡμερῶν ὀργὴν τριῶν πονηρὰν §244ἐπʼ αὐτόν, ὡς κολωμένους ὧν ἠδίκησεν.
Therefore yesterday Cleon, our protector, charged us in good time to come carrying three days' supply of harsh anger against him, as if to punish him for his wrongs.
ἀλλὰ §245σπεύδωμεν ὦνδρες ἥλικες πρὶν ἡμέραν γενέσθαι.
But let us hasten, comrades of the same age, before the day breaks.
Let us proceed, and at the same time look everywhere with our lamp, lest some stone in our path do us some harm.
§248τὸν πηλὸν ὦ πάτερ πάτερ τουτονὶ φύλαξαι.
Father, father, watch out for this mud.
§249κάρφος χαμᾶθέν νυν λαβὼν τὸν λύχνον πρόμυξον.
Now take a straw from the ground and trim the lamp's wick.
§250οὔκ, ἀλλὰ τῳδί μοι δοκῶ τὸν λύχνον προβύσειν.
No, but I think I will push the lamp's wick with this finger of mine.
What on earth are you thinking to push the wick with your finger, and that too when oil is scarce, you foolish boy?
§253οὐ γὰρ δάκνει σʼ, ὅταν δέῃ τίμιον πρίασθαι.
For it does not pinch you when one has to buy it at a high price.
§254εἰ νὴ Δίʼ αὖθις κονδύλοις νουθετήσεθʼ ἡμᾶς, §255ἀποσβέσαντες τοὺς λύχνους ἄπιμεν οἴκαδʼ αὐτοί· §256κἄπειτʼ ἴσως ἐν τῷ σκότῳ τουτουὶ στερηθεὶς §257τὸν πηλὸν ὥσπερ ἀτταγᾶς τυρβάσεις βαδίζων.
By Zeus, if you admonish us again with your knuckles, we will extinguish the lamps and go home by ourselves; and then perhaps, deprived of this in the dark, you will stir up the mud walking along like a woodcock.
§258ἦ μὴν ἐγὼ σοῦ χἀτέρους μείζονας κολάζω.
Indeed, I punish others bigger than you.
§259ἀλλʼ οὑτοσί μοι βόρβορος φαίνεται πατοῦντι· §260κοὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως οὐχ ἡμερῶν τεττάρων τὸ πλεῖστον §261ὕδωρ ἀναγκαίως ἔχει τὸν θεὸν ποιῆσαι.
But this looks like mud to me as I tread; and there is no way that within four days at most the god will not of necessity produce rain.
At any rate, these snuffs have grown on the lamps; and whenever this is so, it is especially customary to rain heavily.
And those of the crops which are not early need rain to fall and the north wind to blow upon them.
§266τί χρῆμʼ ἄρʼ οὑκ τῆς οἰκίας τῆσδε συνδικαστὴς §267πέπονθεν, ὡς οὐ φαίνεται δεῦρο πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος;
What on earth indeed has happened to our fellow-dicast of this house, since he does not appear here to the throng?
§268οὐ μὴν πρὸ τοῦ γʼ ἐφολκὸς ἦν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτος ἡμῶν §269ἡγεῖτʼ ἂν ᾄδων Φρυνίχου· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἁνὴρ §270φιλῳδός.
Indeed, in former times he was not a laggard, but first of us he would lead, singing songs of Phrynichus; for indeed the man is fond of singing.
ἀλλά μοι δοκεῖ στάντας ἐνθάδʼ ὦνδρες §271ᾄδοντας αὐτὸν ἐκκαλεῖν, ἤν τί πως ἀκούσας §272τοὐμοῦ μέλους ὑφʼ ἡδονῆς ἑρπύσῃ θύραζε.
But it seems best to me, men, that standing here we should call him out by singing, if perhaps hearing my song he might creep out of doors for pleasure.
§273τί ποτʼ οὐ πρὸ θυρῶν φαίνετʼ ἄρʼ ἡμῖν ὁ γέρων οὐδʼ ὑπακούει;
Why on earth does the old man not appear before the doors to us nor answer?
§274μῶν ἀπολώλεκε τὰς §275ἐμβάδας, ἢ προσέκοψʼ ἐν §275aτῷ σκότῳ τὸν δάκτυλόν που, §276εἶτʼ ἐφλέγμηνεν αὐτοῦ §276aτὸ σφυρὸν γέροντος ὄντος;
Has he perhaps lost his shoes, or stubbed his toe somewhere in the dark, and then did his ankle become inflamed, since he is an old man?
§277καὶ τάχʼ ἂν βουβωνιῴη.
And perhaps he has a swollen groin.
§278ἦ μὴν πολὺ δριμύτατός γʼ ἦν τῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν, §278aκαὶ μόνος οὐκ ἂν ἐπείθετʼ, §279ἀλλʼ ὁπότʼ ἀντιβολοίη §279aτις, κάτω κύπτων ἂν οὕτω §280λίθον ἕψεις,
ἔλεγεν. §281τάχα δʼ ἂν διὰ τὸν χθιζινὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὃς ἡμᾶς διεδύετʼ §282ἐξαπατῶν καὶ λέγων §282aὡς φιλαθήναιος ἦν καὶ §283τἀν Σάμῳ πρῶτος κατείποι, §283aδιὰ τοῦτʼ ὀδυνηθεὶς §284εἶτʼ ἴσως κεῖται πυρέττων.
Indeed, he was by far the sharpest of those among us, and the only one who would not be persuaded; but whenever anyone entreated him, bending down thus, he would say, "You are boiling a stone." And perhaps because of yesterday's man, who slipped past us by deceiving and saying that he was a lover of Athens and was the first to report the business at Samos, being pained by this, perhaps he now lies with a fever.
§285ἔστι γὰρ τοιοῦτος ἁνήρ.
For the man is of such a character.
But, my good sir, arise and do not thus devour yourself nor fret.
For a fat man has come, one of those who betrayed the affairs in Thrace; whom see to it that you pot.
§290ὕπαγʼ ὦ παῖ ὕπαγε.
Go on, boy, go on.
Will you then grant me something, father, if I ask you for it?
§293πάνυ γʼ ὦ παιδίον.
Certainly, my child.
But tell me, what beautiful thing do you want me to buy?
οἶμαι δέ σʼ ἐρεῖν ἀστραγάλους §295aδήπουθεν ὦ παῖ.
I think you will surely say dice, my boy.
By Zeus, no, but dried figs, papa; for they are sweeter.
§299μὰ Δίʼ οὔ τἄρα προπέμψω σε τὸ λοιπόν.
By Zeus, then I will not guide you in future.
For from this miserable fee I must buy barley meal, wood, and relish for three of us; oh, oh!
σὺ δὲ σῦκά μʼ αἰτεῖς.
And you ask me for figs.
Come now, father, if the magistrate does not sit the court today, from where shall we buy breakfast?
Have you any good hope for us, or any means of finding the holy road of Helle?
§309ἀπαπαῖ φεῦ, ἀπαπαῖ φεῦ,
Apapai, alas! Apapai, alas!
By Zeus, I for my part do not know from where our dinner will come.
§312τί με δῆτʼ ὦ μελέα μῆτερ ἔτικτες;
Why on earth did you bear me, wretched mother?
§313ἵνʼ ἐμοὶ πράγματα βόσκειν παρέχῃς.
So that you might give me the trouble of feeding you.
§314ἀνόνητον ἄρʼ ὦ θυλάκιόν σʼ εἶχον ἄγαλμα.
In vain then, little bag, did I have you as an ornament.
§315ἒ ἔ.
Oh, oh!
πάρα νῷν στενάζειν.
It is ours to groan.
§316φίλοι, τήκομαι μὲν
Friends, indeed I am wasting away...